House Parent, Oxford

Live in role at our Wavy Gate Residence

The House Parent (HP) plays a pivotal role in supervising the main Kings Oxford residence, Wavy Gate and focuses on the pastoral care and welfare of all students based at our main residence and contribute to the social programme to ensure students’ enjoyment and wellbeing. They ensure the highest level of care and supervision is provided at all times and the safeguarding of student needs are always put first. Our main residence is located very close to Oxford City Centre and is home to both English language and academic students, over 16, on long term arrangements.

As we are registered as a boarding school with the Department for Education, the HP role must work in line with National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, Ofsted’s Common Assessment Framework and Standards for Inspection of Boarding and Residential Schools, completing and maintaining the necessary documentation to support this.

The HP reports, in the first instance, to the Senior House Parent, who leads the team. The HP also works closely with all other members of the accommodation team, Welfare team and core senior staff.

Responsibilities and duties

Safeguarding and Pastoral Care

• Work as part of a dedicated team to ensure the highest level of pastoral care to all residential students, ensuring all needs are met and issues are promptly recorded and resolve.
• Promote the safeguarding, physical and emotional wellbeing of all residents dealing with any issues promptly and offering continued support, as and when required.
• Supervise students proactively when on duty, having regular contact and interaction.
• Hold regular meetings with students to convey important messages and to promote wellbeing initiatives.
• Hold regular flat meetings and student room inspections as well as directing and supporting instances related to the confiscation of items from students.
• Assist and support in gaining the required information and consent from students when dealing with authorised absences/going away procedure.
• Maintain and monitor good order and discipline within the residence, with particular regard to bullying, anti-social behaviour and discipline policies, including taking a lead role in room searches as/when necessary. When required, enforcing discipline through the residence sanctions ladder and rewarding through the merit scheme
• For those students under 18 years old, supervise in accordance with Kings Policies and all statutory requirements including curfew rules with regard to Child Protection and general safeguarding.
• Share the responsibility with other Residence team members in the completion of student personal care plans, regularly meeting with students, supporting their needs based on the care plan created
• Contribute to creating a homely residence, to help and encourage students to flourish and develop in their confidence and studies
• Organise and participate in social activities within the residence.
• Promote weekly social activities to students within the residence
• Support all student needs, following regulatory guidelines on administering medicines.
• Assist and support safeguarding and welfare issues at our other over 18 residential sites as and when needed. Attending these sites if required.

Health and Safety

• Ensure that the Kings Oxford residences are compliant with all Fire, Health & Safety regulations. You will be trained as a Fire Marshal and will be responsible for the safe evacuation of all residents when on any of our residential sites.
• Maintain the safety and security of the residence buildings by making regular patrols, ensuring doors and windows are locked and visitors are signed in and out.
• Work with the overnight security provision on maintaining student safety.
• Complete daily checks to ensure the building is in a good state of repair, rooms are comfortable and students are satisfied with their living arrangements. For general repairs, report to A2Dominion as per standard procedures.
• Deal with any logistical issues while on duty.

General

• Work with colleagues to meet all duties and responsibilities for the supervision of Wavy Gate Residence offering the highest level of service, safety and welfare to our resident students.
• Be responsible for answering the residence phone and responding to enquiries effectively and efficiently
• Ensure the residence diary is kept up to date with all activity and lists everything which needs a further action.
• Maintain all necessary welfare documentation, updating the residence diary, My Concern and storing essential student welfare information within the correct database fields
• Maintain the noticeboards and ensure they are up to date with all Residence information
• Take a lead role in student induction and departures, ensuring students are fully inducted as outlined in the student induction practice and all supporting documentation actioned and filed. Induction includes students from other residential sites.
• Oversee the Residence inventory and assist with the ordering of replacement items and preparing rooms and residential sites ready for new student arrivals.
• Attend regular team meetings and to take part in the school’s process of Performance Management/Appraisal

It is understood that this role is likely to evolve over time and that relationships, responsibilities and duties are likely to change to reflect changes in the college.

On call

Members of the accommodation team are required to hold the emergency phone on a rotational basis. This will include overnight and weekends and does not form part of your regular working hours. You may sleep or be off premises during on call hours as long as you remain immediately contactable and able to return within twenty minutes. Any time spent working in response to an emergency will be compensated with time off in lieu.

Person Specification

Kings Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

Personal attributes

• Be trustworthy, honest and discreet
• Be patient and able to gain students trust and sensitive to students’ needs
• Be approachable, friendly and responsible
• Be able to respond quickly and calmly in an emergency
• Be able to de-escalate potential conflict or upset
• Be security and safety conscious
• Be able to prioritise and multitask when necessary
• Have strong organisational, IT and communication skills
• Flexibility and supportive with rota cover

Formal qualifications:

• Minimum Grade C in GCSE Maths and English
• All members of the accommodation team must be level 3 trained in safeguarding

Desirable attributes:

• Experience working in an international environment
• Experience working in education
• Understanding of safeguarding, welfare and pastoral care

How to apply

To apply for this position, or to request further information, please contact: oxford.careers@kingseducation.com.

Applications should be made: by 9th March 2023. Applicants will be considered upon receipt; therefore, it is in your interest to put your application in straight away

Interviews will commence on: As soon as possible. Applicants will be considered upon receipt; therefore, it is in your interest to put your application in straight away

Successful appointment will be dependent upon:

• Enhanced DBS check
• Confirmation of right to work in the UK
• Satisfactory references (including confirmation of no child safeguarding concerns)
• Candidates who have lived and worked abroad in the last five years will be required to seek good conduct references, or the equivalent, from the countries in which they worked, as a pre-requisite of employment